The number of pensioners in Bulgaria continued to grow during the first quarter of the year despite the gradual increase in the retirement age, according to data from the National Social Security Institute (NSSI). Compared with the same period last year, the total number of pension recipients increased by 0.7%.
NSSI figures show that between January and the end of March, a total of 27,616 new pensions were granted. Disability pensions accounted for a significant share of those newly approved benefits, with nearly 12,300 awarded on the grounds of disability. During the same period, around 13,200 pensions for length of service and retirement age were granted, while 2,370 inheritance pensions were approved.
By the end of March, the number of pensioners in the country had reached nearly 2.069 million people. Among them, approximately 488,000 were receiving disability pensions due to general illness, while another 56,000 were beneficiaries of social disability pensions.
The data indicate that the number of newly granted retirement pensions and disability pensions remains almost equal. ?The trend observed in recent years continues, with disability and retirement pensions being issued in comparable numbers,? the report suggests.
Although new pensions continued to be awarded, the number of terminated pensions was higher, exceeding newly granted pensions by almost 1,000. Even so, the overall number of pensioners increased on an annual basis.
Spending on pensions also continued to rise. During the first three months of the year, pension expenditures grew by nearly 10% compared with the same period in the previous year. The increase was even more pronounced in payments related to disability pensions, where spending rose by 12.4%.
The average pension in Bulgaria reached 518 euros during the first quarter. The average retirement pension for length of service and age stood at 554 euros. People receiving disability pensions due to general illness collected an average of 374 euros, while the average social disability pension amounted to 302 euros.
The figures also reveal a notable gap between men and women. Men received an average pension of 573 euros, while the average amount paid to women was 480 euros.
